Merlion
12-13-2007, 08:21 PM
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Art structure honors work of forensic scientists (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1213phx-csi1215.html)
Connie Cone Sexton. The Arizona Republic. Dec. 13, 2007
Kelley Merwin stared up at the glass and copper-coated aluminum sculpture and zeroed in on her favorite part: the DNA helix at the core.
That's not surprising, considering Merwin's job as a DNA analyst for the city of Phoenix.
The forensics expert was on hand with dozens of her coworkers and city officials Thursday for the public unveiling of the new art work, part of the dedication of the Phoenix Forensics Crime Laboratory in downtown Phoenix.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/pics/breaking/1213phx-cs-autosized258.jpg
Created by Massachusetts artists Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schecter, the artwork, titled "Pattern Recognition," honors the work of forensic scientists but also serves as an educational model of what goes into analyzing evidence in the process to solve a crime.
More than 250 pieces of laboratory glass went into the sculpture which hangs from the second story into the building's foyer. The elements of a laboratory are embedded in the design, including beakers, test tubes, pipettes, flasks and Petri dishes. Among the more fascinating components in the piece are true molecular formulas - models for drugs, fingerprints, DNA strands and other chemical and biological substances.
The artists worked with the Phoenix Police Department and Durrant the building architect, to integrate their work into the design of the building, located on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and Washington Street.
The $250,000 art project was developed as part of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's Public Art Program. It was made possible by Police Percent for Art funds.
Helmick attended the unveiling and explained aspects of the art work.
One of the best views of the sculpture is directly underneath the piece. He stood below the 15-foot-high by 10-foot-wide art work and pointed out individual pieces. Looking at the piece from the first floor, the blue colored Petri dishes stand out. The bottom of the dishes reflects what happens during a crime investigation. The blue color patterns show a bullet hole, a film reel, a bullet trajectory.
To understand the forensics field in order to know what should go into the art work, Helmick said he "went trolling for clues," as he spoke with crime experts.
It's also good to view the piece from the second story of the building. There, the blue of the Petri dishes disappear with the copper color taking center stage. From the balcony, the variety of the art work is on view.
"It's easy to see something different each time you look at the piece," said Jody Wolf, an assistant crime lab administrator. ...
Art structure honors work of forensic scientists (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1213phx-csi1215.html)
Connie Cone Sexton. The Arizona Republic. Dec. 13, 2007
Kelley Merwin stared up at the glass and copper-coated aluminum sculpture and zeroed in on her favorite part: the DNA helix at the core.
That's not surprising, considering Merwin's job as a DNA analyst for the city of Phoenix.
The forensics expert was on hand with dozens of her coworkers and city officials Thursday for the public unveiling of the new art work, part of the dedication of the Phoenix Forensics Crime Laboratory in downtown Phoenix.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/pics/breaking/1213phx-cs-autosized258.jpg
Created by Massachusetts artists Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schecter, the artwork, titled "Pattern Recognition," honors the work of forensic scientists but also serves as an educational model of what goes into analyzing evidence in the process to solve a crime.
More than 250 pieces of laboratory glass went into the sculpture which hangs from the second story into the building's foyer. The elements of a laboratory are embedded in the design, including beakers, test tubes, pipettes, flasks and Petri dishes. Among the more fascinating components in the piece are true molecular formulas - models for drugs, fingerprints, DNA strands and other chemical and biological substances.
The artists worked with the Phoenix Police Department and Durrant the building architect, to integrate their work into the design of the building, located on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and Washington Street.
The $250,000 art project was developed as part of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's Public Art Program. It was made possible by Police Percent for Art funds.
Helmick attended the unveiling and explained aspects of the art work.
One of the best views of the sculpture is directly underneath the piece. He stood below the 15-foot-high by 10-foot-wide art work and pointed out individual pieces. Looking at the piece from the first floor, the blue colored Petri dishes stand out. The bottom of the dishes reflects what happens during a crime investigation. The blue color patterns show a bullet hole, a film reel, a bullet trajectory.
To understand the forensics field in order to know what should go into the art work, Helmick said he "went trolling for clues," as he spoke with crime experts.
It's also good to view the piece from the second story of the building. There, the blue of the Petri dishes disappear with the copper color taking center stage. From the balcony, the variety of the art work is on view.
"It's easy to see something different each time you look at the piece," said Jody Wolf, an assistant crime lab administrator. ...